Motor operated telescopic antenna for vehicles

ABSTRACT

A telescopic antenna is actuated through the medium of a long flexible and indented cable of substantially circular section which is driven by a winch provided with ribs cooperating with the cable indentations. The cable is formed into a spiral within a flat housing, the ingoing cable coiling into the housing from the interior of the spiral in such manner that the spiral is thrust against the inner periphery of the housing.

United States Patent De Bellomayre July 1, 1975 1 MOTOR OPERATED TELESCOPIC 2.709.220 5/1955 Spector 343/903 ANTENNA FOR VEHCLES 2,838,953 6/1958 Cone 343/903 [76] Inventor: Michel De Bellornayre, 69 Avenue FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Raymond Poincare, 75 Paris, 46-23931 8/]961 Japan 343/903 France [22] Filed; Nov. 27, 1973 Primary Examiner-Eli Lieberman A I N 419 427 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wigman & Cohen 57 ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data I l N v 29 1972 France 72 42384 A telescopic antenna is actuated through the medium 0 of a long flexible and indented cable of substantially circular section which is driven by a winch provided 3|. with ribs cooperating with the cable indentations- The [58] Fk'ld 323/903 cable is formed into a spiral within a flat housing, the ingoing cable coiling into the housing from the interior [561 Rekrences Cited of the spiral in such manner that the spiral is thrust UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/l94l Paton 343/903 against the inner periphery of the housing.

ll Claims, 10 Drawing Figures FM'ENYEUMI was.

SHEET MOTOR OPERATED TELESCOPIC ANTENNA FOR VEHICLES This invention relates to radio antennae and more specifically to the device for actuating telescopic antennae, notably telescopic automobile antennae.

In the sphere of retractable antennae for car radios, it has already been proposed to provide automatic operation of the whip antenna in order to save the driver the trouble of having to extend or retract it directly from outside the vehicle, as is customarily the case. In one known solution, an electric motor operates through a cable which is attached to the end strip of the telescopic whip antenna and which the motor winds in to retract the antenna or unwinds to extend it; in the former case the cable operates by pulling the end strip of the antenna and in the latter case by pushing it (the cable being prevented from buckling since it is channelled through the telescopic strips).

This cable is usually a relatively flexible Nylon cable which a winch mechanism driven by the motor draws from a magazine in order to push out the antenna or, conversely, drives back into the magazine in order to retract the antenna.

Likewise known (U.S. Pat. No. 2,222,588) is a telescopic car antenna actuating device operated through a flexible metal strip having uniformly spaced holes along its length, which the motor winds or unwinds from a flat magazine through the agency of a cog-wheel engaging with the holes. In this case the longitudinal centerline of the metal strip forms a flat spiral housed in the magazine, and it is to be noted that the metal strip enters the magazine from the outer end of its spiral after the fashion of a tape-measure, an in so doing initially bears directly against the inner periphery of the magazine.

It should be noted that the design according to said U.S. patent, though by no means new, is far from widespread. This is no doubt due to its disadvantages. For instance, it is not advisable to use a metal strip as the antenna propelling agent, flrstly because rainwater could easily seep in and cause the strip to rust and hence to coil up incorrectly and possibly jam, and possibly also because the necessarily thin strip has a tendency to twist, which likewise hinders proper operation.

It is consequently preferable to use a solid Nylon cable or ring of substantial diameter as the antenna propelling agent. Even in such cases, however, various difficulties have arisen in the design of prior art actuating devices, such as problems of bulk, binding, abruptly arrested motion, or delicacy of operation. For this reason, the widespread use of these devices has been hindered somewhat.

The present invention overcomes these various drawbacks by providing an appropriately devised telescopic antenna actuating device which operates through the agency of a long, flexible element which a motor unwinds or winds in such manner that the longitudinal centerline of said element forms a flat spiral housed in a flat magazine, that is caused to extend or retract the antenna by means of a winch mechanism comprising means for engaging with said element, which element is formed with evenly spaced openings along its length. In the case of the present invention, in which said element is a cable or ring of at least substantially circular section in its portions devoid of openings, the device is so contrived that the cable winds into the magazine from the interior of the spiral, and in so doing thrusts the previously formed cable spiral against the inner periphery of the magazine.

The description which follows with reference to the accompanying non-limitative exemplary drawings will give a clear understanding of how the invention can be carried into practice.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a front elevation view of the device;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view, the cable magazine being assumed removed;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through the line IIIIII of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an electrical wiring diagram for control of the electric motor;

FIG. 5 shows a detail of the winch mechanism;

FIG. 6 shows a cable length in side elevation;

FIG. 7 shows the cross-section of the cable through the line VII-VII in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a coupling capable of being mounted on the motor shaft.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show the component parts 20 and 21, respectively, of the coupling element shown in FIG. 8.

Referring first to FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 designates a known type of telescopic antenna the several strips of which telescope into one another and into a barrel 2 fast inside the car body. The antenna is actuated in the usual way by means of a Nylon cable 3 which penetrates into the foot of barrel 2 and has its other end attached to the terminal strip of the antenna. Cable 3 passes from a housing 4 into the foot of barrel 2. Barrel 2 consists of a cable-coiling magazine 5 and a cable guiding and driving mechanism, the necessary drive being supplied by an electric motor 6 capable of rotating in both directions and controlled by a manual switch usually located on the dashboard.

Since telescopic antennae of this type operated automatically by an electric motor are well known per se, it will be unnecessary to give a detailed description of their design and manner of operation other than of such innovations as are provided by the present invention. The description which follows will accordingly be confined to these innovations.

A useful innovation provided by the present invention resides in the very flat shape of the housing. This particularity stems primarily from the design of the magazine provided for the cable 3 and from the nature and appropriate location of the drive means from the motor to winch 7, which means are contained in the housing and include a torque limiter of simple construction adapted to operate on the electric circuit of the motor if there is resistance in excess of a predetermined value.

The magazine proper. shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is formed by an oblate annular gutter 8 of U-shaped cross-section which is open towards the center and very slightly wider than the diameter of cable 3. The latter, which may be guided by a set of rollers and an access duct, enters the gutter through the opening in the U and coils therein into a single-layer spiral, the tightly coiled turns 3a of which are crowded and apply against the peripheral end of the gutter.

Since the width of the gutter is substantially equal to the gauge of cable 3, it is impossible for the turns 3a to overlap, and consequently the cable coils up in a twodimensional vertical space.

Between the flat magazine 5 and a guiding exit channel aligned with the axis of barrel 2, cable 3 runs over a drive winch 7 cooperating with a pressure roller 9. Through the agency of a friction coupling 10 having a pressure coil-spring ll, winch 7 is driven off drive gear ing comprising a ring-gear l2 incorporated in coupling 10 and a worm-gear 13 the shaft 14 of which is driven by motor 6.

A further innovation provided by this invention resides in the disposition of worm-gear 13 and its shaft 14 (see FIG. 2), or more precisely in their ability to shift longitudinally over a short distance limited by stop means, or, more exactly (as shown in FIG. 3), through being displaced by a peg 25 into which the oblate end 14a of shaft 14 is slidable, the lower end of housing 4 likewise forming an abutment.

Preferably, the drive system described precedingly may be so devised that, when the antenna reaches the limit of its extension and the motor is subsequently reversed to retract the antenna, the drive is capable of operating under no load through an angular distance of close on one complete revolution in order to produce a jarring effect easily capable of overcoming frictional resistance and possible jamming.

FIG. 8 accordingly shows a coupling preferably made of a molded synthetic material in two mutually engaging parts 20, 21, of which 20 is coupled to the driving shaft 19 (the motor shaft) and the other part 21 with the driven shaft 14 (which drives the winch) through the agency of holes 200, 2lc, respectively, of incompletely circular shape. It will be noted that the part 20 enters and adjusts itself inside the part 21 forming a sheath around it and that it is formed with two diametrically opposed ribs 20a, 20b located at different heights and adapted to bear against associated ribs 21a, 21b, whereby to produce the torque for driving shaft 14. When the direction of rotation of the motor is reversed, ribs 20a, 20b contact the other sides of ribs 210, 2 lb after having revolved under no load through nearly 360 (less the angular space occupied by each rib).

Through the agency of any convenient transmission means, the axial translation of shaft 14 trips a tumbler switch 15 (FIG. 2), the travelling contact 16 of which can assume either of two positions (shown in dot-dash lines) and is operated by a lever 17 pivotally supported on a pin 18 and actuated by a ring 19 carried on shaft 14. It will readily be appreciated that upward or downward motion of ring 19 will cause lever 17 to pivot in one direction or the other. Hence each motion of shaft 14 in one direction or the other causes the switch 15 to trip.

Switch 15 is connected, in a to-and-fro configuration with a manually operated switch or selector 30 (FIG. 4), into the excitation circuit of electric motor 6, the field winding of which is designated at 60.

Thus, if moving contact 16 of tumbler switch l5 is in the position shown in the drawing and selector 30 is moved to its upper contact stud by the driver, then winding 6a will be energized and electric motor 6 will rotate in the direction required, for example, to wind cable 3 into the housing 4 and retract the telescopic antenna. When the antenna has been fully retracted, winch 7 and its ring-gear 12 lock and cause worm-gear l3 and its shaft 14 to shift axially, thereby tripping the contact 16 into its other position and breaking the motor energizing circuit.

The circuit will be closed once more only if selector 30 is subsequently moved to its lower contact stud, whereupon motor 6 will rotate in the opposite direction and extend the antenna until contact 16 trips upwardlyv In short, the travel of worm-gear 13 is used to trip the tumbler switch 15, which has the dual effect ofimmediately stopping electric motor 6 and preparing its excitation circuit for a subsequent rotation in the opposite direction.

Yet another novel teaching of this invention resides in that any possibility of slip in the cable drive is elimi nated, thereby at the same time considerably reducing cable wear, which is a valuable advantage.

Accordingly, one and preferably both flanges of winch 7 are formed with teeth or projections 7a and the cable 3 is formed with matching lateral indentations 3a (readily obtainable by molding). These indentations are clearly shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. It will be appreciated from an examination of FIG. 7 that any two consecutive lateral indentations have their respective walls parallel to the cable axis and inclined to each other at an angle preferably in the region of 20, in order to ensure good action on the cable.

I claim:

1. A device for actuating a telescopic antenna comprising a flat housing of annular shape having an interior periphery and an exterior periphery, a long, flexible cable of solid polymeric material formed with evenly spaced indentations along its length with at least substantially circular cross-section in its non-indented parts, said housing having a central opening for reversibly receiving and storing said cable, a motor which reversibly actuates through the agency of a drive winch said cable in such manner that the longitudinal centerline of said cable forms a flat spiral within said housing, said drive winch having means for engaging with said cable indentations, cable guiding means in said housing for directing said cable into the housing from the interior of the spiral and in such manner that the ingoing cable thrusts the previously formed cable spiral against the inner periphery of the housing.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a cable magazine in the housing which is shaped as an annular gutter of U-shaped cross-section opening inwardly and of an inner width slightly greater than the diameter of the cable.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cable winding housing contains the winch and a torque limiter of circular shape, the motor is positioned above the housing and the axis line of the motor passes through a place located substantially half-way along the radius of the flat housing, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extension and retraction of the antenna whereby to drive the winch through bevel gearing.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said cable is of solid section and is formed with a succession of lateral indentations on its periphery, through part of its thickness, and the winch comprisesa driving flange formed, on its lateral surface, with upstanding ribs the angular spacing between which is adapted to enable said ribs to engage with the cable indentations in order to drive the cable.

5. A device for actuating a telescopic antenna comprising a long, flexible cable driven by motor means, said cable having spaced indentations along its length and includes a substantially circular cross-section in its non-indented parts, the longitudinal centerline of said cable forms a flat spiral within a flat housing, said cable to respectively extend or retract the antenna through the agency of a drive winch having means for engaging said cable, means associated with the housing for receiving said cable at a location thereof such that said cable coils into the housing from the interior of the spiral and in such manner that the ingoing cable thrusts the previously formed cable spiral against the inner periphery of the housing, said drive winch means for engaging said cable includes two similar driving flanges formed with upstanding ribs adapted to cooperate with corresponding sets of indentations formed on the cable.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, in which the ribs on the two said flanges are mutually staggered and the indentations are formed on alternate sides of the cable, along the length thereof.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5, in which the straight walls of any two consecutive indentations are parallel to the cable axis and directed at an angle, preferably in the region of to each other.

8. A device for actuating a telescopic antenna comprising a long, flexible cable driven by motor means, said cable having spaced indentations along its length and includes a substantially circular cross-section in its non-indented parts, the longitudinal centerline of said cable forms a flat spiral within a flat housing, said cable to respectively extend or retract the antenna through the agency of a drive winch having means for engaging said cable, means associated with the housing for receiving said cable at a location thereof such that said cable coils into the housing from the interior of the spiral and in such manner that the ingoing cable thrusts the previously formed cable spiral against the inner periphery of the housing, said housing being of substantially circular shape and contains said winch and a torque limiter, a motor operatively connected with said winch, the axis line of said motor passing through a place located substantially half-way along the radius of the flat housing, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extension and retraction of the antenna, said torque limiter includes a driven member adapted to shift over a short distance longitudinally of the antenna and to actuate a tumbler switch whereby to cut off the motor energizing current. said motor being positioned above the cable housing in a separate compartment.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the motor includes a shaft which is connected to the winch shaft through a coupling comprising a driving member and a driven member, the driving member being formed at a determinate distance along its length with a single driving rib on its periphery that is adapted to bear against one side of a corresponding rib formed on the driven member, for a particular direction of rotation of the motor, and against the opposite side of said corresponding rib for the opposite direction of rotation of the motor.

10. The device as defined in claim l wherein said drive winch means for engaging with said cable indentations includes a flange having projecting ribs spaced to intermesh with corresponding indentations formed in said cable.

11. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means includes roller means which guide said cable into said flat housing. 

1. A device for actuating a telescopic antenna comprising a flat housing of annular shape having an interior periphery and an exterior periphery, a long, flexible cable of solid polymeric material formed with evenly spaced indentations along its length with at least substantially circular cross-section in its nonindented parts, said housing having a central opening for reversibly receiving and storing said cable, a motor which reversibly actuates through the agency of a drive winch said cable in such manner that the longitudinal centerline of said cable forms a flat spiral within said housing, said drive winch having means for engaging with said cable indentations, cable guiding means in said housing for directing said cable into the housing from the interior of the spiral and in such manner that the ingoing cable thrusts the previously formed cable spiral against the inner periphery of the housing.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a cable magazine in the housing which is shaped as an annular gutter of U-shaped cross-section opening inwardly and of an inner width slightly greater than the diameter of the cable.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cable winding housing contains the winch and a torque limiter of circular shape, the motor is positioned above the housing and the axis line of the motor passes through a place located substantially half-way along the radius of the flat housing, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extension and retraction of the antenna whereby to drive the winch through bevel gearing.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said cable is of solid section and is formed with a succession of lateral indentations on its periphery, through part of its thickness, and the winch comprises a driving flange formed, on its lateral surface, with upstanding ribs the angular spacing between which is adapted to enable said ribs to engage with the cable indentations in order to drive the cable.
 5. A device for actuating a telescopic antenna comprising a long, flexible cable driven by motor means, said cable having spaced indentations along its length and includes a substantially circular cross-section in its non-indented parts, the longitudinal centerline of said cable forms a flat spiral within a flat housing, said cable to respectively extend or retract the antenna through the agency of a drive winch having means for engaging said cable, means associated with the housing for receiving said cable at a location thereof such that said cable coils into the housing from the interior of the spiral and in such manner that the ingoing cable thrusts the previously formed cable spiral against the inner periphery of the housing, said drive winch means for engaging said cable includes two similar driving flanges formed with upstanding ribs adapted to cooperate with corresponding sets of indentations formed on the cable.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 5, in which the ribs on the two said flanges are mutually staggered and the indentations are formed on alternate sides of the cable, along the length thereof.
 7. A device as claimed in claim 5, in which the straight walls of any two consecutive indentations are parallel to the cable axis and directed at an angle, preferably in the region of 20*, to each other.
 8. A device for actuating a telescopic antenna comprising a long, flexible cable driven by motor means, said cable having spaced indentations along its length and includes a substantially circular cross-section in its non-indented parts, the longitudinal centerline of said cable forms a flat spiral within a flat housing, said cable to respectively extend or retract the antenna through the agency of a drive winch having means for engaging sAid cable, means associated with the housing for receiving said cable at a location thereof such that said cable coils into the housing from the interior of the spiral and in such manner that the ingoing cable thrusts the previously formed cable spiral against the inner periphery of the housing, said housing being of substantially circular shape and contains said winch and a torque limiter, a motor operatively connected with said winch, the axis line of said motor passing through a place located substantially half-way along the radius of the flat housing, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extension and retraction of the antenna, said torque limiter includes a driven member adapted to shift over a short distance longitudinally of the antenna and to actuate a tumbler switch whereby to cut off the motor energizing current, said motor being positioned above the cable housing in a separate compartment.
 9. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the motor includes a shaft which is connected to the winch shaft through a coupling comprising a driving member and a driven member, the driving member being formed at a determinate distance along its length with a single driving rib on its periphery that is adapted to bear against one side of a corresponding rib formed on the driven member, for a particular direction of rotation of the motor, and against the opposite side of said corresponding rib for the opposite direction of rotation of the motor.
 10. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said drive winch means for engaging with said cable indentations includes a flange having projecting ribs spaced to intermesh with corresponding indentations formed in said cable.
 11. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means includes roller means which guide said cable into said flat housing. 